Crossed
by the one a.m. writer
Summary: "So…" Sam starts. "Soulmates," Cas says. "Imagine that," Sam murmurs. "What do we…" "I don't think we have to do anything," Sam says. "But I should probably tell Luc that we should go back to being just friends." (Dean and Gabriel are also featured in this story but I ran out of characters.)


_Got this one off of Instagram and it was the prompt I needed to crank out a short story. Here y'all are. If you're a writer, stick around for the end notes? Also, I wrote this at one a.m. and my friend can testify._

* * *

Sam is 18 when he finds his soulmate's name, like everyone else. No one has quite figured it out—like sleeping, it just inexplicably happens—but happen it does.

Sam doesn't necessarily see the name, not right away. It just starts appearing. It replaces one of the words on the cereal box; Honey Nut Cheerios becomes Honey Novak Cheerios. Just as quickly, it's gone.

Sam stares at it. Honey Nut Cheerios steadfastly stays Honey Nut Cheerios.

"I saw it!" he shouts.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam asks, looking at his brother, who is still pre-coffee.

"Too damn early."

"Sorry," Sam says brightly.

For the rest of the day, he reads everything he sees. He opens up his history book—Novak of America turns back into History of America before Sam has the time to take it in.

Sam wants to write the name down, over and over again like an excited schoolgirl, but that would be inappropriate. It was an odd sort of taboo. Who knows what name Dean had—certainly not Sam.

Sam resists searching the name, or telling Charlie and having her find every Novak in America. He chants to himself that he _will_ find his soulmate in good time.

All too soon, it's midnight on the day after Sam's birthday. He won't see the name Novak again for several years.

…

Age twenty two, Sam has just gotten accepted into law school. It's an exciting moment for everyone. Although Dean has graduated and is well on his way to a career in mechanical engineering, he insists he'll cheer for his alma mater whenever they have a game against Stanford.

"Aren't you supposed to support your little brother?"

"Not in _sports,_ dorkface."

"What if I was on the team?"

Dean just laughs. Sam never does try out for sports of any kind.

…

Sam is in his first class with a professor Crowley, a short, stern man with a habit of yelling at people who ask 'stupid questions,' when he meets Bal Roche, a man who at first glance seems to take none of his classes seriously but who turns out to be an excellent study partner.

"Balthazar is your actual name?"

"Yes, but no one takes you seriously if your name is _Balthazar_. Feel free to call me Bal."

"All right," Sam says.

"You seem like an exciting person. Do you want to go out for drinks?" Bal asks.

Sam and Bal go to a bar nearby, a common haunt of Stanford students. As soon as they walk in the door, Sam starts ignoring everyone he recognizes from classes but isn't friends with.

Bal winks at… well, everyone. Sam idly tries to pin down his type, but after realizing that Bal has flirted with everyone who showed him a passing interest, he gives up.

"Do you have standards?" Sam asks, while Bal waves down the bartender.

"Yes." Bal holds up three slender fingers. "One, alive." He presses down a finger. "Two, human." He presses another down, leaving his middle finger up. "Three, willing."

Sam shakes his head. "I'll have a… whatever you have on tap."

 _"Boring_ ," Balthazar says.

"What are you getting?" Sam asks.

"You'll see."

Their drinks come—Sam's beer and Balthazar's… something. It is exquisitely created and garnished with a pink umbrella.

Sam can't help it; he laughs.

"Nice."

"Try it," Bal offers. "Unless you're too much of a wuss."

"Too much dignity, more like," Sam says.

"You're a college student, and you haven't learned yet that the best alcohol is pink with an umbrella?" Bal asks.

…

Sam and Bal end up, hammered, in Bal's apartment. It's tiny, but it belongs to Bal alone, because his family is rich.

This, as it turns out, is a great way to start a friendship.

By sophomore year, Bal and Sam live off-campus together. Bal and Sam have very few mutual friends. Sam hangs out with Kevin Tran and them, and Bal tends to hang out with as many people as can fit in a fraternity house for a party, but Bal and Sam always end up in their shared apartment quizzing each other on whatever they're studying at least one night a week. Bal wanted to turn it into a drinking game, but Sam insisted they study sober, so they tally how many shots they should take on their "studying" whiteboard and end the night in varying degrees in drunkenness depending on how well they are doing.

"Are you a virgin?" Bal asks one night, after their studying took a spectacular turn for the worse. They'll be lucky to get good grades on their next test, but hopefully they have a better chance now.

"Are we turning this into truth or dare?" Sam asks in reply.

"Should we?"

"Sure."

"Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Are you a virgin?"

Sam laughs.

Bal says, "You walked into that one."

"No," Sam says.

"No, you didn't walk into that one, or no, you aren't a virgin?"

"No, I'm not a virgin."

"Who was it?"

"Hey!" Sam objects. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

"Do we have hot sauce?" Sam asks.

"I like where this is going. Yes."

"Empty the bottle on your head."

Bal gasps in indignation.

The game winds on. Sam learns that Bal has not ever actually been involved in an orgy, but he has had a threesome, and that he secretly doesn't want to meet his soulmate for a long while. Bal learns that Sam has only ever had sex with a cute pre-med named Jess, but he's attracted to men and women, and that he has a feeling that his soulmate is male.

"So you need practice!" Bal says.

"You're awful," Sam says, with no heat behind his words.

"Oh. In case you thought I was propositioning, you're not my type—"

"You don't have a type!"

"We room together; I don't want it to be awkward when our 'friends with benefits' relationship goes down in flames. I'm going to introduce you to a friend of mine."

…

"Hi, I'm Sam."

"Luc Jones."

"Luke?"

"Yeah."

"It's a nickname," Bal pipes.

Luc gives Bal a sharp look. "Nice glass house there, buddy."

Sam doesn't pry.

"I'll leave you to it," Bal says. "Oh, and I won't be returning home until… oh… 12 pm tomorrow."

"That's an invitation if I ever heard one," says Luc.

"Bal did basically offer you up to be my friend with benefits."

"I'm amenable."

Sam grins.

…

Luc, Bal and Sam are sitting on the couch, watching Game of Thrones and eating Bal's newest creation.

"You ever thought about starting a restaurant?" Luc asks.

"No," Bal says. "I'm shit at managing people."

"I've been managing people all my life," Luc laughs.

"Yeah, but are you any good at cooking?" Sam asks.

…

Fridays are the official Bal and Luc cook-off. Sam is treated to a feast, and all he has to do is judge their food.

After Sam pronounces Luc's food better three weeks in a row, Bal protests that Sam has a conflict of interest. As it happens, Bal and Luc have exactly one mutual friend other than Sam: Luc's roommate, Cas.

"Also a nickname," Bal says.

"What is it with you and three letter nicknames?"

"You tell us…" Luc pretends to count on his fingers. "S-A-M."

"Hey, I'm not afraid of my full name. You're welcome to call me Samuel."

"We all know each other from the fact that we went to a super religious high school," Luc sighs. "As it happens, all of our names are biblical."

"Yikes."

"I know."

"Anyway, I'll bring Cas over next Friday."

"Excellent. You and Cas would get along," Bal tells Sam. "You've got the whole study-freak exterior, raging sarcastic bitch interior going on."

Luc laughs, and Sam can't stop himself from laughing either.

…

Cas and Sam, as it turns out, get along _excellently._

Neither of them likes cooking, so they're more than happy to quiz each other on classwork while Bal and Luc battle it out in the kitchen. Cas's handwriting is the sloppiest Sam has ever seen, so they tend to use Sam's notes.

"Put your name on your shit, Sam," Bal says, clearing away his own notes so that the table will be ready for their food.

"Takes too long," Sam says. "Last name like mine?"

"Lazy."

Bal and Luc both bring, today, hamburgers.

"Excellent," Cas says. "Hamburgers are my favorite."

"I like the ones my brother makes," Sam says. "We'll see how these compare."

Cas and Sam debate fiercely over the result of the contest. Sam wants to say that Luc's were too boring, but Cas maintains that they were much better cooked, and therefore should win. Sam says they were both well-cooked enough that it didn't matter.

"I think our real problem is that Luc does not have, and will never have, enough imagination," Cas tells Sam seriously.

"Castiel James Novak!" Luc berates teasingly. "What a rude thing to say. You should apologize to me right now."

Sam's heart stops in his chest.

That's it.

That's the name.

He can't get his hopes up… how many Novaks might there be in the world? The only real way to know would be to see if Cas had the name Winchester.

Getting an idea, Sam cleans up; he's sure he is shooting furtive glances everywhere and acting really suspicious. He grabs his abandoned notes.

"I'm gonna put these away," Sam says, knowing that Bal will respond like always.

"Put your name on!" Bal calls, predictably.

"Is Sam enough, or do I have to write Winchester too?"

Bal responds. Sam isn't sure what he says, too busy trying to catch Cas's reaction.

Cas's eyes widen comically. Sam catches his gaze, and grins.

…

After dinner, Sam and Cas are cleaning up. Luc and Bal are on the couch. Since they cooked, Sam and Cas get to clean.

"So…" Sam starts.

"Soulmates," Cas says.

"Imagine that," Sam murmurs.

"What do we…"

"I don't think we have to do anything," Sam says. "But I should probably tell Luc that we should go back to being just friends."

…

Cas and Sam end up in an apartment of their own. Luc moves into Balthazar's.

A month into their revelation that they're soulmates, they haven't kissed, haven't anything, really. Sometimes they get drunk and cuddle on the couch and watch horror movies.

Sometimes, when it's late and they're out of their minds with studying, Cas and Sam talk.

"I thought I was either asexual or demisexual for a long time," Cas says.

"What do either of those things mean?"

"Asexual is no sexual attraction. Demisexual means you have to be friends first."

"Ah."

"So… maybe I'm asexual," Cas concludes.

"Are you not… attracted to me?" Sam asks.

"Not really. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. Weirdly enough, you aren't my type."

"What's your type?"

Thinking about Luc and Jess, Sam says, "Extroverted."

Cas laughs.

A little later and drunker, Cas asks, "What if we're a mistake?"

"What?"

"What if I am supposed to end up with some other Winchester and you're supposed to end up with some other Novak?"

"Another Winchester with the soulmate name Novak? I'm pretty sure I'm one of a kind," Sam says.

"I feel bad because… because… we aren't like normal soulmates."

"You're my best friend, Cas," Sam admits seriously. "I love you so much, man. You're my bestie."

…

Sometimes Sam and Cas go out on "dates," mostly because one day Sam said "shouldn't we go on dates or something?" and Cas responded with "Would you like to accompany me to lunch on Friday?"

Today, they are at a coffee shop they both like. Their dates mostly consist of laughing about inside jokes and complaining about teachers over food that one of them has paid for. (It's Sam's turn to treat Cas today.)

"I don't really mind," Cas says suddenly.

"What don't you mind?"

"The relationship we have. I like it a lot."

"Good," Sam says. "I like it too."

…

Cas is able to give Sam three hours' warning before Gabriel arrives for Thanksgiving break. Cas and Sam were already planning on going to see Bal and Luc at their apartment for Thanksgiving, but now it looks like Gabriel is going to show up too.

He promises to make mashed potatoes and pie.

Cas frantically calls Luc and Bal, who both say it's okay if Cas and Sam bring an extra person, and then Sam calms him down by saying that Gabriel couldn't have expected them to prepare for his arrival. Sam hugs Cas. Cas, who isn't short but who is significantly shorter than Sam, lets himself be folded into Sam's embrace.

"We should clean up, though," Sam says, observing notes strewn everywhere and laundry unfolded on the couch.

"Gabriel won't care," Cas says exasperatedly, but he starts picking up all the same. He picks up Sam's notes and looks at the name at the top, and then again, and again, and again.

"I fell in love with a name," Cas mutters, too low for Sam to pick up.

…

Cas suddenly realizes that he never really mentioned much about soulmates to Gabriel yet—it's been two months since he and Sam realized they had each other's names, and they've been taking it slow. (Other than the renting an apartment together—but Cas had been planning on renting one anyway and Sam mentioned casually that he thought Luc and Bal could benefit from living together.)

He quickly reviews his conversations with Gabriel.

 _"So, what's up with you? Still have only Bal, Luc and Sam as friends?"_

 _"Is that a problem, Gabriel?"_

 _"No, nononono. Of coourrrse not."_

 _"I'm doing fine for myself," Cas bit out._

 _"Fine, I'm sure. I know when you were a kid, you talked about waiting for your soulmate or whatever, but have you at least fooled around a little? Seriously, bro, you need to lighten up!"_

 _"Gabe, I don't need your meddling. I'm fine the way I am."_

 _"I should take you to a bar and hook you up with someone cute."_

 _"I'm not interested."_

 _"Why not?"_

 _"I'm just not."_

 _"You have to have a reason."_

 _"No, I don't."_

 _"Fine. You won't object to me introducing you to someone, though, right?"_

 _"Maybe my soulmate will!" Cas finally spat exasperatedly._

 _"You don't have one yet, Cassie."_

 _"Don't I?" Cas asked._

 _"WHAT? Are you holding out on me? What's the gossip?"_

 _"Connection's breaking up—sorry!" Cas said petulantly, spitting at the phone. He hung up._

Oh, this reunion will go delightfully.

…

True to form, Gabriel enters into Cas and Sam's lives by walking through the door with a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of luridly colored truffles. He surprises Cas, who is busy gathering up the last of the socks, but Sam is in the other room.

"Baby bro!" Gabriel shouts, putting down his treats. He crushes Cas in a hug, which takes some talent, as Gabriel is considerably shorter than his brother.

"It's… delightful to see you," Cas says, voice layered in sarcasm.

"I haven't seen you in a while! I _had_ to come say hi. Anna is sorry she couldn't come down, but she's visiting Selena's parents for Thanksgiving."

"I wish my brother would drop in more often," Sam says, walking into the room.

Cas looks between his brother and his soulmate. Gabriel's normal introduction to people is to offer them his weird truffles and watch their reactions. Cas likes them, but Cas has been desensitized to Gabriel's cooking.

Gabriel offers Sam a truffle. "I don't believe we've met. Gabriel Novak."

Sam takes it. "Sam Winchester," he says, raising the truffle to his lips.

Gabriel's hand slips from where it was reaching to grab a truffle to the countertop. "It's got Mexican chili peppers," he warns quickly.

Cas stares. (He also grabs a truffle for himself.) Gabriel… _warned_ Sam?

"Oh," Sam says, and instead of eating it all at once, takes a delicate bite. "Thanks for the warning. This is… this is good."

"Thank you," Gabriel says, executing a flourishing bow.

"Can't wait to try your pies," Sam says.

…

Cas pulls Gabriel aside. Sam is reading in the bedroom; he seemed to know the brothers needed to catch up or something. "I saw that look," Cas says.

 _"Dude,"_ Gabriel says. "He liked my truffles. That right there is a promise of a future."

"At the expense of, um."

"What, Cas?" Gabriel asks, finally turning away from where he is staring into the middle distance and paying attention to his brother.

"Gabe, it's…"

"Spit it out," Gabriel says, gentler than normal. "Is this about your non-existent soulmate?"

"He… Gabe, the name I saw was Winchester, and the name Sam saw was Novak."

"You… well. Damn. I… Cas, the name I saw—"

"You don't have to tell me," says Cas, still uncomfortable with the societal taboo.

"It was Winchester, so I have to tell you. It was Winchester."

"You and I both," Cas says.

"The fuck do we do now?" Gabriel asks.

The two brothers sit down on the couch.

"I think you tell Sam," Cas says.

"Why not you?"

"Sam and I—we're great friends, but we never really, as you would say, _clicked._ You and Sam look like you will click." Cas does his best to refrain from putting air quotes around the word 'clicked.'

"So you think Sam ended up with the wrong Novak," Gabriel says. "Where does that leave you?"

"Soulmate-less?"

Gabriel gets up and grabs a truffle for both of them, and hands one to Cas. "Coconut and marshmallow. I have a theory. Well, multiple theories."

"What's the monogamous theory?"

"Sam has a brother."

…

When Sam emerges from his room for dinner, which is simple enough, the day before Thanksgiving, Cas and Gabriel are preparing it. Gabriel appears to be making soup, and Cas is making a side salad. They are talking about something, but the conversation casually dies when Sam enters.

"What'd I miss?" Sam asks.

"We were talking about family!" Gabriel says excitedly. "You got any siblings?"

"Yeah. Dean. He's a mechanical engineer. He's really cool; he helps me pay for tuition. He's also a big nerd."

"What a coincidence! Cas is a nerd too!"

"I've noticed," Sam says, laughing.

"We were talking about soulmates," Cas cuts in.

"Really?" Sam says. "You got a soulmate, Gabe?"

Gabriel and Cas share a look. Cas nods.

"Funny thing," Gabe says. "You see, on the morning of my 18th, I started seeing the name Winchester everywhere."

Sam startles. "That's… wow, that's unusual! You and Dean must be soulmates, and me and Cas—"

Cas adopts a comically serious expression, and says gravely, "Sam, I love you very much, but you and I were not meant to be. You and Gabriel will do much better together."

"Oh," Sam says. "I feel a bit shitty for saying I agree."

"Pay me back by introducing me to your brother," Cas suggests.

"I'll call him now," Sam says.

"What, right now?"

In response, Sam pulls out his phone.

…

 _"What's up, bitch?"_ a deep voice answers the phone.

"Hey, jerk! You're on speaker!" Sam replies enthusiastically.

 _"Uh, hi…"_

"I called to say I'm coming down for Christmas."

 _"You are?"_

"You are?" Cas asks.

"Yeah, I am. I thought I'd bring along a couple extra people too," Sam says. "What do you think?"

 _"College buddies?"_

"Well, kind of. One of them's my soulmate."

 _"What? When did this happen?"_

"It's a really long story," Gabe pipes in. "I'll tell you about it when I meet you. Then you can tell me embarrassing stories about Sam!"

Cas gives Sam a sympathetic look.

 _"Sure thing. Who else is coming, Sammy?"_

"Well, I figured you would want to meet my friend. His name's Cas Novak. I think you'll get along really well with him."

There's a clatter on the other end of the line, like a phone falling to the floor.

…

"Screw business," Bal says while they prepare thanksgiving dinner. "Sure, these classes are going to help me and all, but I want to run a restaurant now."

"With Luc?" Sam asks.

"Exactly," Luc says. "We'll have the best restaurant in the state."

"I could give you some pointers," Gabriel says. "I don't run a restaurant, but I do run a chocolatier."

"Looks like _we'll_ be staying in contact after college," Sam jokes.

"What about you and Cas?" Luc asks. "Plan to start your own firm?"

"Me and Cas? Oh," Sam says, "Luc, Bal, are you ready to hear the _weirdest thing ever?_ "

…

Dean lives in the old Winchester family home. Sam drives Cas and Gabe there.

"Is that Dean?" Cas demands.

Sam laughs. "You guys are gonna get along like a house on fire."

"I almost want to videotape this," says Gabriel, pulling out his phone.

"By 'almost want to', you mean…"

"Okay, I'm videotaping this."

Sam gets out of the car first, and doesn't bother to do anything else before running to Dean and hugging him. It turns out Dean inherited some of the height genes that also went to Sam, because Sam is only a _bit_ taller.

"I _missed_ you!"

"Get off me, you lump."

"Deeeean!"

Gabriel backs slowly out of the car, phone trained on Cas. Dean eyes him.

"What's he doing?"

Cas gets out, dragging his suitcase, which neither Sam nor Gabriel have bothered to do. "Hi," he says, approaching Dean. "I'm Cas Novak."

"You… seriously?" Dean asks.

"Yes."

" _Damn,_ " Dean says. "I really lucked out on soulmates."

…

"…and anyway," Luc concludes, "That's what they were like in college."

Dean wipes a fake tear from his eye. "Beautiful story."

"Nerds," Gabriel contributes.

"Hey, Bal," Sam says. "What happened between college and now? Last I knew, you and Luc weren't soulmates!"

"Luc has a really common last name," Bal says, "so I thought nothing of it."

Luc huffs. "And Bal was lying about his last name!"

"I wasn't lying!"

"The name you use isn't on your birth certificate!"

"I'm _sorry_ my divorced parents caused you such _grief_ ," Bal says.

"Ah," Dean says, "Like an old married couple."

"We all have such weird stories," Cas says.

"And I couldn't have asked for anything better."

 _"Get a room!"_ Gabriel hisses to the table at large, burying his head in Sam's shoulder.

* * *

 **Aaand it's done. The end.**

 **Anyway. Writers. Hey. If anyone who can write smut would like to collab on a work with me, I can't write smut but I got this really long story and I don't want to let the shippers down at the end of it. Just, you know, DM me? Thanks**

 **Writing tip: text your friend for advice. Don't follow their advice. Follow your own advice. Works every time.**


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